Vol. 486 No. 1
693 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his Department and each body under the aegis of his Department have complied with sections 15 and 16 of the Freedom of Information Act, 1997; and the location where the documents required under these sections may be obtained by members of the public. [1255/98]
The Freedom of Information Act, 1997, will come into operation on 21 April 1998. Preparatory work is in hands to ensure that the Department, and its associated agencies which have been prescribed as "public bodies" for the purposes of the Act, are in a position by that date to comply with all of the Act's provisions, including sections 15 and 16. Final decisions on where the material required under these sections will be publicly available will be taken closer to the commencement date, having full regard to the provisions and spirit of the Act.
